On the eve of the long-awaited US progress report on the key benchmarks in Iraq, the weekly civilian casualty figure in the country was its lowest of the 12-week monitoring period to date.Since when did any sane person greet the death of 175 innocent persons (including many children) as good news?
The civilian death toll for the period 30 August to 5 September was 175, with 117 wounded civilians. This means the total number of civilian casualties was below 300 for the first time since the BBC World Service began monitoring the surge (emphasis added).
And the worse is yet to come. The following is a letter to the editor that the local paper refused to print. Why, I don't know:
To the Editor:
There is growing evidence that George W. Bush plans to launch a massive bombing attack on Iran and, if that does not happen, then Israel, our supposed ally, will carry out such an attack without our protest. It is hard to speak dispassionately about such an impending horror. First and foremost, such an attack will result in the killing or maiming of an untold number of innocent children. No matter how allegedly “surgical” such a strike, collateral damage (a euphemism in this case for murder) would be high. There is a good chance that the military would have to resort to nuclear weapons to achieve their mission. We need to do everything in our power to stop this disaster.
Please remember that this is the same group of people that brought us “Shock and Awe,” the illegal invasion of Iraq, and the subsequent killing of up to a million innocent civilians in that devastated country. Please remember that the invasion of Iraq was based on a four flush of untruths, including the presence of WMD (never found) and support by Iraq for al Qaeda (never documented).
It is my humble opinion that if George W. Bush orders such a military strike, especially without the full concurrence of our elected representatives in Congress, this will irrevocably and dramatically alter the lives of everyone. We cannot let him do this.
4 comments:
The reason they didn't print it was because there is no proof we are planning to attack Iran. I am sure, (and I hope) that we have a contingency plan in case Iran regulars cross into Iraq, I don't think pre-emption is on the table.
WMD /were/ found by the way and the press did not really pick up on it just like how they are unable and unwilling to follow the source of Hsu's money.
Funny thing is that if we do attack Iran and Congress give the OK, the democrats can always say they were for it before they were against it. With this Congress, it's always a "willing suspension of disbelief."
Thank you for commenting, St. Eak. There is ample documentation from multiple sources that something far more than a contingency plan is afoot. In any case, one doesn't respond to infiltration of (ir)regulars with nuclear weapons. Iran is not stupid enough to resort to an all out attack.
As for the WMD, even the White House (except Cheney, of course) recognizes that they were not there.
I'll match your Hsu and raise you an Abramoff (might throw in a Stevens, too).
I agree about the Democratic Congress. But for the opposite reason.
1) As even the American army news service (which is the source of that report) admits they were unusable.
As the arms inspectors pointed out they were most likely overlooked rather than there being mala fides involved.
2) Doc those figures come from the Ministry of the Interior and are heavily manipulated. For example if a body has been discovered and the decedent has been shot from behind they don't count it.
If the body is found in Mahmoudiyah - they don't count it.
News of us: Dad is back in Irak and will be for some months. I'll be rejoining my regiment at the start of the New Year. At which point Mrs. Du will take over the crab snaffling and forwarding duty :-)
du
Du,
Thanks as always for your comments. I apologize for the crab lineage. I didn't do so well in that section of biology. I was just repeating what the kids say!
You and your father are much to be admired. Does he have body armor for Irak? If not, I would be happy to contribute for him to get some.
Back thirty-seven years ago my Jackeen friends used to joke about the Irish navy. I think they had two speed boats. Now they have an army! And, I suppose, Aer Lingus is the Air Force (cunning that name.)
I'm reading the Kellys and the O'Kellys by Trollope. I had previously read The Macdermots of Ballycloran (in addition to about 12-15 other of his novels). I think it would be hard for a native Irishman to read these and not want to knock the snot out of the pommey bastards. But, then, I'm a peace loving guy, so I take that back.
Dr. C.
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